After the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Mumbai on Tuesday, secretary Jay Shah confirmed that next year’s Asia Cup will be shifted out of Pakistan as Team India won’t be able to visit the neighbouring nation.
The 2023 edition of the continental championship — Asia Cup — has been been allotted to Pakistan as per the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme. However, the BCCI after their AGM, arrived at a conclusion that it will not travel to its neighbouring country for the tournament and demanded that the tournament be moved to a neutral venue.
“Neutral venue for the Asia Cup is not unprecedented and we have decided that we will not travel to Pakistan,” Shah, who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
“I have decided that we will play at a neutral venue,” he added.
Notably, the 2022 edition of the Asia Cup was also played in a neutral venue after an economic and political crisis engulfed host nation Sri Lanka. The tournament was held in UAE, where Sri Lanka emerged as the champions after beating Pakistan in the final.